Lyla Lindsey
Lebanon has been a source of migrants to Australia since the 1870s. In 2021, 248,430 Australians (approximately 1% of the total population) claimed Lebanese ancestry, with 87,343 Lebanese-born people reported in the census that year. The Lebanese community in Australia is largely based in Sydney, with the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area in Sydney's west home to the largest number of Lebanese Australians.
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What You'll Learn
Lebanese Australians in Sydney
Lebanese Australians have a long history in the country, with Lebanon being a source of migrants to Australia since the 1870s. In 2021, about 1% of the total Australian population, or 248,430 people, claimed Lebanese ancestry, with 87,343 Lebanese-born people reported in the census that year. Of these, nearly 66,000 resided in Greater Sydney, making it home to the largest Lebanese-born population in Australia.
The Lebanese community in Sydney is diverse and well-established, with a range of religions represented, including Sunni and Shia Muslims, as well as Christian denominations such as Protestants, Greek Orthodox, Maronites, and Melkites. The community has a strong presence in certain suburbs, such as Lakemba, Greenacre, and Punchbowl, where streets are lined with Arab grocery stores, halal butchers, and kebab shops run by Lebanese immigrants and their descendants.
Historically, Lebanese migrants in Sydney faced discrimination and were excluded from citizenship, the right to vote, and employment. Despite these challenges, the Lebanese community has thrived and made significant contributions to various sectors. Lebanese women, in particular, played a vital role in the early Lebanese settlement, often working as hawkers and running family businesses. Today, Lebanese Australians are represented in various fields, including sports, business, and politics, with successful entrepreneurs and prominent figures in Sydney's Lebanese community.
Sydney's Lebanese community actively participates in social institutions, cultural events, and civic affairs. Lebanese civic organisations have a long history in the city, with the Australian Syrian/Lebanese Association operating from the 1920s to the 1940s. The Australian Lebanese Association (NSW Branch), formed in 1949, continues to provide services to the Lebanese community. Additionally, the Lebanese community in Sydney has a high rate of Australian citizenship, with almost universal citizenship among those who arrived more than 15 years ago.
The waves of Lebanese migration to Sydney have been influenced by various factors, including economic decline, religious unrest, and civil war in Lebanon. During the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990, more than 30,000 civil war refugees arrived in Australia, with many seeking refuge from the conflict between Muslim and Christian groups. This wave of migration significantly changed the character of the established Lebanese community in Sydney, with an increasing number of Muslim Lebanese immigrants.
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Lebanese Australians in Melbourne
Lebanese Australians have a long history in the country, with migration from Lebanon to Australia occurring since the 1870s. In 2021, around 248,430 Australians (about 1% of the total population) claimed Lebanese ancestry, and the census that year reported 87,343 Lebanese-born people in Australia, with nearly 66,000 of those residing in Greater Sydney.
Melbourne, like Sydney, is home to a significant Lebanese Australian population. In Melbourne, Lebanese Australians are mostly found in the north and west of the city, in areas such as the City of Hume, City of Merri-bek, and the City of Whittlesea. Suburbs with high Lebanese populations include Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Altona North, and Glenroy.
The Lebanese Australian community in Melbourne, like in other parts of Australia, is diverse, with a large Christian religious base, including Maronite Catholics, and a sizeable Muslim population. The first Lebanese religious organisation in Melbourne, the Antiochian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, was established in 1931. Today, there are numerous Maronite, Melkite, and Orthodox churches across Melbourne serving the Lebanese Christian community.
The Islamic societies and mosques in Melbourne have also expanded in recent decades to serve the growing Lebanese Muslim population. By 1998, there were 35 Islamic societies in Melbourne, and today, these societies serve as important social, cultural, and sporting centres for the Lebanese and other Muslim communities in the city.
Lebanese Australians have faced discrimination and scrutiny in Australia, particularly in the media. Historically, Lebanese migrants were excluded from citizenship, the right to vote, and employment, and faced racist policies and treatment during World War I and World War II. More recently, the Lebanese Muslim community in Australia faced backlash following the 2000 gang rape trials in Sydney and the September 11 attacks in 2001. Despite these challenges, Lebanese Australians have made significant contributions to Australian society in various fields, including sports, business, politics, literature, and culture.
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Lebanese Australians and religion
Lebanese Australians have a large Christian religious base, with Maronite Catholics being the most common denomination. There is also a large Muslim group, including Sunni and Shia branches. In 2016, 43.5% of Lebanese-born people in Australia identified as Muslim, while 34.2% identified as Catholic, and 7.2% as Eastern Orthodox.
Lebanese Christians have been settling in Australia since the 1870s, fleeing the Ottoman Empire's declining economy. They gained influence within Australian politics and, in 1975, a group of influential Maronite Australians successfully lobbied the government to allow Lebanese civilians to resettle in Australia as refugees, escaping the internal conflict between Muslim and Christian groups. This was known as the "Lebanon Concession" and brought more than 30,000 civil war refugees to Australia between 1975 and 1990. This wave of immigration was predominantly Muslim.
The Lebanese presence in Australia is indicated not only by the Lebanese-born but also by their descendants, with second and third generations now established in the country. The descendants of the first wave of settlers now extend to five and six generations, while the second wave includes at least three generations. The third wave, which came during and after the Lebanese Civil War, typically extends to two generations.
Lebanese Australians have faced significant scrutiny and discrimination, particularly in the wake of the 2000 gang rape trials in Sydney and the 2001 September 11 attacks. This scrutiny continued with the 2005 Cronulla riots, in which a crowd of white Australians attacked those of Arab appearance. Despite this discrimination, the Lebanese community in Australia has made its mark across music, literature, culture, sport, business, and politics.
The community has established various welfare and socio-political organisations, such as the Australian Lebanese Welfare and the Australian-Arabic Council, to ensure that the interests of Lebanese Australians are represented and their rights protected in a multicultural society. Religious organisations, including churches and mosques, have also been established to meet the needs of the community.
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Lebanese Australians in politics
Migration from Lebanon to Australia dates back to the 1870s, with Lebanese Christians fleeing the Ottoman Empire's declining economy. Lebanese Australians have historically faced discrimination and were treated as "enemy aliens" during World War I and World War II. Despite these challenges, Lebanese Australians have made significant contributions to various aspects of Australian society, including politics.
Lebanese Australians have gained influence in Australian politics, particularly in New South Wales (NSW). Alexander Alam, a long-serving member of the NSW Legislative Council, and Barbara Perry, the Labor Member for Auburn and the first woman of Lebanese ancestry to hold a parliamentary seat in Australia, are notable examples. Additionally, Daryl Melham, the Federal Member for the Sydney seat of Banks, is the son of Lebanese immigrants.
The Governor of NSW from 2001 to 2014, Professor Marie Bashir, is also of Lebanese descent. She was the first female Governor of NSW and played a crucial role in representing the state. During her tenure, she worked to strengthen the relationship between NSW and Lebanon.
On a national level, Jackie Trad served as the deputy premier of Queensland, and Salim Wardeh was a minister of culture in Lebanon. Sam Doumany held the position of Attorney General and Minister for Justice in Queensland. These individuals have represented and advocated for the Lebanese Australian community, promoting their interests and concerns in the political sphere.
Lebanese Australians have also been active in local government and community organisations. Michael Sutherland was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, contributing to the political representation of Lebanese Australians in another state. Additionally, the Lebanese community in Australia has been actively involved in sports, business, and cultural pursuits, further enhancing their presence and influence in the country.
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Lebanese Australians and return migration
Lebanese Australians have a moderate rate of return migration to Lebanon. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 30,000 Australian citizen residents in Lebanon. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the Australian government organised mass evacuations of Australian residents in Lebanon.
Lebanese Australians have a long history in the country, with migration waves dating back to the 1870s. Lebanese Christians fleeing the Ottoman Empire's declining economy migrated to Australia, among other countries. Initially, Lebanese immigrants were not distinguished from Turks or Syrians due to the region of modern-day Lebanon being a part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and later administered by the French Mandate alongside Syria. It wasn't until 1920, with the removal of racial disqualification from naturalisation laws, that people from Lebanon gained access to Australian citizenship.
The migration waves of Lebanese Australians can be categorised into three successive periods. The first wave occurred from around 1880 to the 1920s, with Lebanese people settling in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. This wave consisted predominantly of Christian Maronite and Orthodox Lebanese Christians, who gained influence in Australian politics. By 1947, there were 2,000 Lebanese-born people in Australia, almost all Christians.
The second wave of Lebanese migration to Australia took place from 1947 to 1975. This period saw an increase in migration due to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which turned the southern Lebanon border into a conflict zone affected by poverty. The third wave began in 1976 with the outbreak of the Civil War in Lebanon and lasted until the present. During this wave, more than 30,000 civil war refugees arrived in Australia between 1975 and 1990, escaping internal conflict between Muslim and Christian groups.
The descendants of Lebanese Australians now span multiple generations, with the first wave settlers extending to five and six generations, while the second and third waves include at least two to three generations each. Lebanese Australians have made significant contributions to various sectors in Australia, including business, science, academia, sports, and the arts. They have also established a strong network of religious and community organisations, such as churches, mosques, and Islamic societies, to serve their cultural and social needs.
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Frequently asked questions
According to the 2021 census, 87,343 Lebanese-born people were living in Australia, with nearly 66,000 of those residents in Greater Sydney.
In 2021, 248,430 Australians (about 1% of the total population) claimed Lebanese ancestry.
The religious breakdown of Lebanese Australians is similar to that of Lebanon, with Sunni and Shia Muslims making up around 40% of the community, and Christian denominations accounting for around 48%.
Around 70% of Lebanese Australians live in New South Wales, with a large concentration in the suburbs of Sydney, particularly in the west of the city.
Migration from Lebanon to Australia has decreased in recent years. In the 2023 financial year, it was estimated that 1.2 more Lebanese migrated to Australia than emigrated, down from previous years.
